


That Guy and That Other Guy

by vinniebatman



Category: Die Hard (Movies), Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Genre: Crosover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2017-12-07 08:43:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinniebatman/pseuds/vinniebatman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Guardians find someone a new prospect for the Green Lantern Corps: John McClane</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Guy and That Other Guy

**Author's Note:**

> **Spoilers:** Generally fthe Justice League series, and through the first three Die Hard movies.  
>  **Disclaimer:** I so totally own Die Hard and the DC 'verse. So Bow Down! *Doctor's Note: Patient exhibits delusions of grandeur and any claims of ownership are pure fantasy. No harm is meant. Seriously, it's better than her throwing rocks at people.*  
>  **Beta:** Thanks for the betaing and cheerleading of [](http://users.livejournal.com/_beetle_/profile)[**_beetle_**](http://users.livejournal.com/_beetle_/)!  
>  **Dedication:** Written for my dear friend [](http://megyal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://megyal.livejournal.com/)**megyal** who is just a total sweetie, and got me into the Die Hard fandom. I started this as a little "pick me up" for her some time ago. So for the holidays, I decided to clean it up and add to it.

* * * * * * * * * *  


_Do you know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. Pat on the back, blah blah blah. 'Attaboy.' You get divorced... Your wife can't remember your last name, kids don't want to talk to you... You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me kid, nobody wants to be that guy. [I do this] because there is nobody else to do it right now. Believe me if there was somebody else to do it, I would let them do it. There's not, so [I'm] doing it. That's what makes you that guy."_ ~John McClane,  Live Free or Die Hard

* * * * * * * * * *  
Sometimes John wondered just what the fuck was going on. Seriously, was there some sort of a god damned invisible sign over his head that said "Yeah, sure, I'll save the day! It's not like I have anything better do!"

Sighing, John ran his hand over his shaved head and down his face as he stared as the short, blue alien with unkempt white hair. _Guardian,_ he corrected himself, sarcastic even in his own thoughts. _They call themselves 'Guardians'._

"So let me get this straight: you're a member of an alien organization that chooses guys to become space cops to fight space crime?" John asked.

"Not only males. We have also given rings to women and alien species of indeterminate genders," the alien supplied, his tone even and authoritative despite his stature.

John shook his head and smirked. "This some kind of a joke?"

The alien tilted his head. "You have heard of Superman."  
John snorted. "Nah, I don't watch the news. Or read the paper. Or listen to the radio."

The Guardian paused and tilted its head, frowning. "In that event, I will explain. Superman is an alien from the planet--"

"It was sarcasm, pal! Of course I know who Superman is! Everyone does! And I wasn't talking about the alien crap, I was talking about that space cop crap."

"Ah. You have heard of the Green Lantern?"

John reined in his desire to let loose another volley of sarcasm and cursing. "Yes," he sighed.

"He is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. We monitor the galaxy to promote peace. We wish for you to join." The Guardian extended his closed fist. His hand opened, revealing a shining, green ring. "Your strength of will, honor, and desire to help others makes you a perfect candidate. Join us."

John sighed again, staring at the ring. He was a cop, it was what he did. Sure, sometimes it broke his fucking heart when he saw the shit that people did to each other. The job had cost him almost everything, it had cost him his wife and kids, but John knew the NYPD would have to force him out when the time came for him to retire. Because in L.A. and New York, he'd seen that so many cops really didn't care enough to do their fucking jobs. Someone had to step forward and deal with this shit.

After a few moments, he reached out and took the ring.

"Yeah, I'll do it."

John slipped the ring onto his finger. At first it was too small, barely fitting past the first knuckle. But to his amazement, the ring then stretched until it fit comfortably in the space his wedding ring had once occupied.

"Huh. So, this job come with dental?"

* * * * * * * * * *

Matt raced around the Watchtower, unused energy singing through his body. It sucked; he'd missed out on stopping that terrorist attack using alien technology in Houston, just because his stupid bosses wouldn't let him leave. Jackasses. You'd think the feds of all people would let him leave when he needed to so he could save people. Okay, so they didn't know he was the Flash, so he couldn't complain. He really should have taken Bats up on that freelance job offer for Wayne Enterprises.

Matt zipped through the rooms, bored and looking for conversation, until he finally found Wonder Woman and Superman. They stood together quietly looking out a window, their gazes on Earth.

"Hey guys, how'd it go?" Matt asked.

"Ah, Matthew. It went... well," Diana said.

"Whoa, dramatic pause. What happened?"

"The new Green Lantern, he is... very different," she continued.

"Two dramatic pauses? That's not good. Different how?" Matt asked, rapid fire.

Superman took a deep breath. "Well, he has a penchant for punching people. Repeatedly. Until they lose consciousness. And he has a rather foul mouth."

Matt laughed. "Wait, what?"

"After punching out the last of the terrorists, he said 'Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker,'" Diana said. Her recitation of the curse was so careful and delicate that Matt couldn't avoid laughing.

"What's so funny?" a voice drawled.

They turned to find the newest League member standing in the doorway, dressed only in the tight bottoms of his costume, the green and black top in his hands. Matt stared. To anyone else, it would have seemed a quick glance, but to him, it was long, leisurely gawk. The new Green Lantern had to be in his early 50's, but he was well muscled and lean, with scars dotting his body. He wasn't as muscled as Superman, but the view was still attractive. And though he wasn't classically handsome, he was still good-looking, and exuded a self-confidence that only increased his hotness.

"You removed your costume," Diana observed slowly, curious yet thoroughly disapproving.

"Yeah, I hate this fucking thing. It's kinda sissy-looking. And tight," he explained. He paused and looked at Superman. "No offense."

"Could you possibly avoid cursing so often?" Superman asked with a weary sigh.

"Why?"

"Because it is inappropriate; that little boy started repeating you," Diana chided.

Matt snickered as he developed a mental image of a little boy running in circles while chanting "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker."

John smirked, an expression Matt found ridiculously enticing. And somehow familiar. "If that kid doesn't know not to curse, then his parents aren't doing too good," John said.

"That is beside the point, John," Diana started.

Matt zipped over to John, ready to change the conversation.

"Hey, I'm Matt Farrell. Well, my real name is Matt but I'm also the Flash," he said quickly, extending his hand.

John added a raised eyebrow to his smirk, pursing his lips slightly as he shook Matt's hand.

"Oh really, you're the Flash? Wouldn't have guessed," John said, looking down at Matt's body.

Matt's cheeks went red, making him grateful for the mask he realized he was still wearing. He was wearing his costume, bright red with a yellow lighting bolt; of course John McClane knew he was the Flash! Wait, that was it!

"You're John McClane!" Matt said, snapping his fingers.

John frowned. "Yeah, that's my name."

"How do you know his name?" Superman asked.

"Because he's John McClane! There was an A&E biography on him last week!" Matt said, waving his hands. As he continued speaking, his words came faster and faster. "Remember, back in the 80's, those guys took over the Nakatomi building and John took out like 20 bad guys with machine guns, without backup! Or shoes! And then there was that terrorist group that took over Dulles when you guys were on Mars or something, and he lit the plane on fire! Or-."

"Forget it, kid," John cut in. "How in the hell do you know all that?"

Matt shrugged. "I like t.v. and I don't sleep much."

"Whatever," John said, shaking his head. "I'm gonna go shower."  
John turned and walked away. As Matt watched him leave, staring at the defined musculature of John's back, he couldn't help but wonder if he was dirty enough to warrant a trip to the showers as well.

* * * * * * * * * *  
John groaned as someone started pounding at his front door. What the fuck use was it to have intercoms and buzzers when people just snuck into the building and punched your door? It was probably the damn kid again, anyways. Why Matt wanted to hang out with him was beyond John. Though truth be told, Matt wasn't the worst company John'd ever had. In fact, it was nice to be around him, and he was pretty damn cute in a geeky kind of way.

The knocking resumed, louder.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!"

John glanced at the clock: 11:00 a.m. Fuck. He'd gotten to bed four hours ago after going to fucking Malaysia to help with a flood. He rolled out of bed and shuffled to the door. _Well, at least I'm not sore as hell anymore_ he thought. The Guardians had explained that the ring would help him heal quickly and fully, but it had shocked the hell out of him when the ring had also cleared up the arthritis in his knees and shoulders, and gotten rid of all the aches and pains he'd accumulated over his life.

"What the hell do you want now kid?" he asked as he unlocked the chains and deadbolt and pulled the door open. To his surprise, he wasn't met by the face of a hyperactive computer geek/superhero, but his ex-wife.

"Holly?"

She arched an eyebrow and eyed him closely. "Hello John."

John stared; hell, he'd barely said two words to her during Lucy's graduation. She looked good, the gray of her hair tastefully colored to match her natural red, wearing a neatly pressed suit.

"What're you doing in New York, Holly?"

"I came to see my parents. They won't be here for Christmas, but I thought Jack and I could come over and see them before they left. Besides, Lucy is only taking a few days off; she's working most of her break, so it'll be easier on her."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Just came to talk. How's the new job?" she asked.

John bristled. He didn't want to talk about his new job; he did work, but it was also a cover for his work with the League. And in all honestly, during the last few years of their marriage, their conversations hadn't been all that friendly. "It's good."

"Yeah, I was surprised when Jack told me you'd left the force; I didn't think you'd ever leave."

"Yeah, well, got a good offer from Wayne Enterprises," he muttered, shrugging.

They fell silent.

"You gonna ask me in, John?" Holly asked, a smile softening her features.

"Yeah, sure."

Holly shook her head at the suspicious look on his face as he stepped aside to let her in.

Holly walked in and quickly surveyed his sparse, messy apartment, her eyes taking in the empty energy drink cans (which she knew John didn't drink; Jack had whined often enough about John's constant nagging at him to stop drinking that "doped-up-bull-piss crap") before lingering on the small, plastic Christmas tree on the counter. "Nice tree."

John shut the door and smirked as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, some kid at my new job gave me the tree."

"Oh. Is he a superhero too?"

John's face settled into its customary smirk, but his eyes were guarded, ready for a fight. "I don't think security guards count as 'superheroes.'"

Holly rolled her eyes and smiled, fondly. Now that she didn't have to take care of him and fight for time with him, things had mellowed between them. She was finally able to remember how they'd been friends first. "Oh come on John, I've known you long enough that I'll recognize that face and smirk even with a green mask on. And besides, most super heroes don't need to be bleeped out when they talk to the press."

"Fuck."

"Exactly. And don't worry, I won't say anything. I'm not about to out myself or the kids to the super villains of the world. I learned that years ago. Is it strange that the fact you're facing down super villains makes me feel better? Because now, you at least have some decent protection."

John nodded, face closed.

As Holly prepared to speak again, one of the living room windows quickly opened on its own and a brown blur followed by a gust of wind blew in and headed to the kitchen.

"Hey John! I got burgers. Man, I'm starving!" a voice said.

John groaned and dragged his hands down his face. "Damn it, kid! Ever heard of using the door?!"

"Takes too long."

A young man with shaggy brown hair left the kitchen, carrying two plates with burgers and fries. One plate held a single serving of each, while the other had a small mountain of precariously stacked burgers, surrounded by piles of fries.

"Beside, I-- oh shit." They guy's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open. "I, uh, I--"

"See, kid, this is why you use the fucking door!" John yelled, moving closer to the young man, crowding him.

"But, you never have visitors," he weakly replied.

Holly laughed. "Don't worry about it."

"Uh, what did you see?" he asked.

"Enough to guess that if John's the Green Lantern, that you must be the Flash."

"How did you know about John? Did you tell her? We're not supposed to tell people! I haven't even come out to my parents- and man does that sound weird- because they totally know I'm gay, but not about the superhero--"

"I didn't tell her anything," John interrupted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"I'm John's ex wife; his mask wasn't enough to disguise him from me," she explained wryly.

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry. I should go," he stammered, eyes darting about nervously. "You know, home."

"Really kid? Didn't know you had one, all the time you spend here bothering me," John grumbled. "Holly, this is Matt. Matt, this is my ex-wife, Holly Gennero."

Matt stepped forward, juggling the plates and cans of energy drinks held against his body with his arms.

"Damn it, kid," John muttered, taking the plates from Matt's hands. Matt wiped his hands on his jeans, then extended one to clasp Holly's hand. He moved his hand up and down carefully, slowly.  
Holly fought a smirk. John wore a familiar, secretly-pleased look, veiled by gruff anger. He was somewhat annoyed by the kid, but not much. Holly wasn't an expert on body language, but she'd learned enough about it in the board room to pick up a few things. Like the way John rolled his eyes, but didn't move away or verbally object to the way Matt stood close to him.

Interesting.

"Actually, John, I'm here to invite you over for Christmas dinner. My parents are heading out to Chicago to see Ted, so I'm staying at their place. I thought you might like to join us for dinner on Christmas." She looked over at Matt and smiled, a teasing grin on her face. "Provided you don't need to play hero that day, of course."

John shrugged. "Yeah, that'd be good."

"You're welcome, too, Matt, if you'd like."

"Really?" Matt grinned widely, an almost humming vibration running through his body. At their incredulous looks, he cleared his throat and went still. "I mean, yeah, cool, that'd be nice."

John rolled his eyes, but that look of false anger was back, stronger than ever. "Don't you have a family, kid?"

Matt blushed, and looked down at his running shoes. "Well. Yeah, but they don't know about me, so I have to take a plane home, and I hate sitting still for so long. It kinda makes me itch."

John scowled and grumbled some more, but Holly recognized that secretly-pleased shine in his eyes.

* * * * * * * * * *

John parked his car behind the rental parked in the driveway. He sighed heavily. He didn't want to admit it, but he was hoping the kid'd show up. Matt was like... a fungus. An entertaining, kind of attractive fungus. At first he'd been irritated by the kid following him around the watch tower, then bugging him at the office and showing up at his house. But somehow, he'd gotten used to having Matt around.

Whenever John got into a mood, Matt would zip up and start talking, laughing, keeping him company. And it didn't hurt that the kid liked spaghetti westerns, same as John, and knew how to keep his mouth shut (mostly) while watching one.

Hell, it was just nice to not be alone, for once.

If he didn't want to go home, he could bum around the Watch Tower. And really, hanging out with superheroes in general wasn't half bad. They _got it_ , got the fact that sometimes, you had to help because you could. Of course, most of them were uptight or just plain weird. Martian Manhunter still freaked him the fuck out, Wonder Woman had a stick shoved up her ass, and Batman could be a bigger bastard than John.

Yet Matt, for all his super abilities and surprising intelligence, was an average guy with a strange sense of humor. Who was also kinda attractive, for a guy. Something about him made John actually want to cross the lines he'd never quite dared.

Sure, there'd been the occasional attraction, but nothing worth the crap people put you through. Matt, though, Matt . . . might be worth it. And Matt definitely feels something for him. John had seen the smiles Matt sent him, the looks--he'd also picked up on the fact that Matt always seemed to visit the showers when John was in there.

John had noticed. Hell, he felt the same way. He didn't know what was holding him back, but he knew he wanted to go slow, take it easy. If this was gonna happen, John didn't want to rush or push, didn't want to screw it up.

John checked his watch; it was 4:30. He was already late and Matt still wasn't there. John sighed heavily, darkness pulling at him. That was the downside to caring about someone: they could disappoint you. He got of out the car, gift cards tucked into his jacket. He hated being a gift card dad, but these days, he had no idea what to get Jack or Lucy, and when he did buy them something, they hated it. Squaring his shoulders, he walked up to the front door. Right as he knocked, a warm gust of wind scented with fast food and energy drinks hit him. He pressed his mouth into a line, hiding his grin.

"Didn't think you were gonna show, kid," he said as Matt stepped up beside him. He looked nice, dressed in a blue button up shirt and slacks under an open pea coat. It still amazed John how the kid could run through rain and still be dry. Then again, it shouldn't since Matt could move faster than water. Faster than gravity, even.

Matt grinned. "You know me, McClane; I always show up just in the nick of time.

John chuckled and shook his head, reviewing all the times he'd showed up at the last possible second to a fight. "Yeah, guess you do."

The door was opened, his daughter on the other side.

"Hey Dad," Lucy said.

John smiled and moved in for a hug. She responded in kind, though her arms were stiff. After a few tense seconds that nearly killed him, she relaxed into the hug.

"So, this is your coworker?" she asked, breaking the hug.

John nodded. "Yeah, this is Matt Farrell, computer geek and caffeine freak."

Lucy rolled her eyes while Matt flushed red. "Oh please Dad, like you don't drink a hundred cups of coffee a day."

"Well, at least I don't drink doped-up-bull-piss crap," he said, glaring as Jack showed up in time to chime in with Lucy and Matt on the words "bull-piss crap."

"Hey Dad!" Jack pulled him into a strong embrace, smiling widely. John hugged him back. His relationship with Jack had always been easier.

Holly walked out of the kitchen, smiling as she dried her hands on a towel.

"Just in time; you ready to eat?"

Matt grinned wide. "Always."

* * * * * * * * * *

Holly leaned against the sink, eying the small mountain of dishes, wine glass in hand. Dinner had gone far better than she'd expected. John wasn't as defensive as he could have been, probably because he had a friend with him. And it gave John something to focus on. All through dinner, he'd made sure Matt had enough to drink, and kept his plate full. Matt seemed the type that had fifty things running through his head at one time and needed looking after, and looking after people was John's specialty. She was pretty sure they were still friends and not anything more. Jack had been oblivious to the charge between his father and Matt, but Lucy had noticed, turning once to face her while mouthing "Oh my god!"

John had always been willing to admit when another man was attractive, but Holly was sure he'd never done more than look. He was an Irish Catholic cop from a family of cops; some things just weren't done. It might surprise Jack when something happened between John and Matt, but Jack would deal with it. Jack's best friend since second grade had come out in high school. Mike's parents had kicked him out, and like John, once Jack's protective instincts kicked in, he'd gotten over his friend being gay. He'd deal with his Dad getting a boyfriend. And John and his family weren't close. The only thing that had kept their family together was their parents. But after John's mother had died from lung cancer ten years earlier, followed soon by her husband, their kids had drifted apart. Their opinions had never mattered much to John before, so they'd mean nothing now.

And at this stage of her life, Holly didn't care if John was falling for another guy. She just wanted John to be happy, the way she was. Thinking of her fiancee, she reached up to touch the engagement ring hanging from a chain under her sweater. John'd had a hard time with their divorce, but they hadn't seen each other for a while. She didn't want to flaunt her happiness until she got a better sense of John's mindset. The fact that _something_ was happening between Matt and John actually made things easier.

Holly looked up quickly as someone walked into the kitchen, watching as Matt put another empty can of soda into the recycling bin. "Thanks for dinner, Holly. It was great!"

"You didn't eat much," she noted.

Matt shrugged. "Yeah, I ate a bunch before I came over. I didn't want to eat you out of house and home."

Holly smiled. "Matt, I'm Italian and Irish." She gestured at the half-full pots and pans lining the counters. "Help yourself."

Matt grinned. "Cool, thanks!" He moved in a blur of blue and brown, dashing from pot to pot, shoveling food onto a plate and into his mouth.

"Jesus, you're like a teenager on speed," Holly muttered.

Matt stopped and blushed, then started eating again. He seemed to be rather fond of starches, having created a volcano of mashed potatoes surrounded by a ring of stuffing and towers of yams. Holly watched from the kitchen sink, soaking pots as his plate was emptied in minutes. Despite the speed with which he ate, Matt was surprisingly neat.

"Thank, Holly; that was really good. Hey, you want help with the dishes?" Holly arched an eyebrow as Matt crowded her, forcing her away from the sink.

"Sure, why not."

"Cool. Will you watch the door?" he asked, eyes darting toward the entrance.

Holly frowned, but went and opened the swinging kitchen door just far enough to hold it steady with her hand. Matt grinned, and she stared. He moved quickly as he sped through the dishes, his hands blurring as he scrubbed at the pots and pans. Then, his entire body became a blur as he moved back and forth, moving the rinsed dishes and loading the dishwasher. Water splashed across the counters and floor as Matt cleaned. In less than five minutes, the dishes were done.

"Hell, you want a job?" Holly finally asked.

"You can't pay worse than the JLA, so, sure." Matt smiled and grabbed a towel to dry the floor and counters. At Holly's blank look, he added: "Superheroes don't get paid."

Holly pulled another towel out and started drying the pots, watching him closely. "You do realize he can be a bastard, right?" she finally said.

Matt froze and turned to her. "You mean John?"

"No, I mean my other ex-husband that you obviously have feelings for."

Matt paled, his eyes going wide. "No, I don't, I mean--"

"Yes, you do. And so does he."

Somehow, Matt's eyes were able to widen further, and a small grin started. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Holly grabbed her glass of wine and took a drink. "Look, this isn't something I really want to talk about. But I think John still beats himself up over how our marriage fell apart. The truth is, we both screwed up. Both of us wanted our careers; even if I hadn't ended up in LA, we still wouldn't have stayed together. We're both too stubborn, too much the same. If he forgot our anniversary, then I wouldn't bother with his birthday. He stayed in New York, so I stopped using his name. Instead of trying to make it work, we punished each other. He needs someone who'll tell him what he's doing wrong, instead of just getting mad. When I got pissed off, I'd shut down and he'd run away. Anytime things got hard and he didn't know what to do, he'd run away." Holly gave him a pointed, expectant look.

Matt smiled softly. "Well, I can run faster than him."

Holly tilted her head, considering him. "You're like him in some ways; stubborn, trying to save the world. But you're not as... well, Irish as us. Instead of shutting down when things go wrong, you need to talk to him. Took me a lot of therapy to figure that out."

"Well, I do like to talk," he said with a grin.

Holly smiled before leaving the kitchen. Matt followed her to the living room, where Lucy was giggling as John and Jack raced cars in a video game. After a few minutes, the race ended and Jack jumped off of the couch, pumping his fists in the air.

"Good job, Dad,' he said once he'd finished celebrating. "You didn't drive the wrong way this time."

"Funny, Junior, real funny."

"Yeah, Dad," Lucy chimed in. "You didn't suck. You start playing video games?"

"Nah; Wayne Enterprises makes me use a computer. At the precinct, I could get away with using a typewriter."

"Matt, you _have_ to tell me: is it as funny watching my Dad use a computer as I'm imagining?" Lucy asked.

Matt grinned. "Only when there's something wrong with the network. He's not too bad at using the basic functions he needs, but when something goes wrong with the system, he cusses so much he makes... former army guys blush." It hadn't been an army guy, but Superman. John had created some vivid images when cussing at the Watchtower's computer. J'honn had tilted his head, intrigued, while Superman had actually blushed. It had been hilarious.

John glared at him, then turned his attention back to his family. Holly smiled and sat on the arm of the couch beside John. They looked like a family, and what little courage Matt had scrounged up deserted him. This was where John belonged, in a nice house with his family and kids, not in a crappy apartment with Matt. He walked over the pile of coats and grabbed his.

"Where you going, Matt?" John asked.

"Oh, I was just going to...." Matt stalled as he realized he couldn' t actually say he was going home. He cleared his throat. "I was just going to go, go for a walk. You know, see the Christmas lights."

John's eyes narrowed, surveying Matt. Matt hated that look; it made him feel naked but not in a fun way. "Okay, I'll come with you. Need to stretch my legs, anyways." He walked over and grabbed his coat, following Matt outside. Jack stood to follow them, only to have Holly and Lucy ask him for help on... something.

Outside, the sky had cleared, but the windshield of John's car was already covered in frost.

"Christ it's cold," John muttered.

"Yeah, I noticed," Matt said, shivering.

John stared. "I thought you didn't get cold?"

"I don't get hot because I'd die if I weren't resistant to friction heat when I'm running about. But I still get cold," he explained.

John shook his head and grinned. "Learn something new every damn day." Without asking, John slung his arm around Matt's shoulders, pulling him to his side. They walked on in silence, observing the large houses draped in lights.

"Thanks for coming up, kid. It was nice to have someone in my corner."

Matt turned to face him and smiled. "No problem, John; I had a good time. Holly's a good cook."

A wistful, fond smile tugged at the corners of John's mouth. "Yeah, she can be."

Matt swallowed hard; sure, Holly knew that he liked John, but it seemed like John still loved her. "Well, you can fly now, and she knows who you are, so maybe you can go visit her in L.A. or something." Matt winced when his voice went tight.

John stopped on the sidewalk and angled his head toward Matt, his eyebrow arched. "You trying to get rid of me?"

"No, it's just, you guys looked good together, like a family and...." Matt trailed off with a shrug.

John smiled and shook his head. "Jesus, kid, you get some strange ideas. Jack said she's got a fiancee, a lawyer who treats her good. Holly and me ain't happening again, ever."

"Oh, I just.... You guys looked... you looked happy together and I just--"

"You freaked," John interrupted softly. He stopped walking and dropped his arm, sighing. "Guess that's my fault."

"What? No, man, just forget it," Matt said, shaking his head.

"Look, I'm just not used to actually _wanting_ a guy enough to do something about it. I was taking my time, trying to get used the idea of... you and me."

"I don't-- I don't want you to be uncomfortable, John. Not like that."

"It's not like I'm uncomfortable because I'm freaked out. It's just really new to me, actually acting on things I think about a guy," John admitted, a blush springing up on his cheeks. "But I don't want you to think I don't want you, 'cause I do."

John reached out and cupped Matt's face, calloused fingers gently brushing his skin. His eyes were fixed on him, searching and wary. _To see if I'm backing out_ Matt realized. So he smiled and leaned forward, angling his head. John's lips were dry and a bit chapped against his, but gentle, his puffs of breath warm on Matt's mouth. His tongue darted out, licking at Matt's lips, slipping in to lick at his palate and trace his teeth. The kiss was incredible, John's lips teasing his just right, with perfect suction and just... damn, John was good at kissing. After a few moments, John pulled back to look into Matt's eyes.

He looked happy, and Matt sure felt happy. "Wow, you're really good at that."

John grinned, easy and confident. "May not have any experience with guy on guy stuff, but you're with a necking champ, kid."

Matt smiled. "Well, we should probably start with what you're comfortable with."

He threw his arms around John's neck, pulling them together. He crushed their mouths together, eager. John backed him up against snow-covered car, pressing them together from chest to thigh. They rocked together, the both of them half-hard and eager, Matt arching up against John.

The bark of a dog in the quiet neighborhood brought them back to their senses. They jumped apart, the moment broken. Matt shuffled his feet as John just stared at him.

"C'mon kid, let's get back to my place," John finally said, breaking the quiet. "I'll warm ya up," he added, smirking.

Matt stared. This was a smirk that he'd never seen before. This smirk was pure sex and heat, a promise of naked fun times. "I'll have us there in two seconds."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down kid," John said. "We gotta say goodbye first, and I'm not leaving my car in fucking Connecticut."

"But that'll take forever," Matt whined. "It'll take _hours_! I can have us there in a minute!"

John smirked. "Didn't anyone ever tell you good things come to those who wait?"

"You suck, McClane!"

John laughed. "Keep that up, kid, and you won't find out."

Matt's only answer was another whine.

THE END


End file.
